Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfbupa’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunsurfbupa’, characterized by its outwardly spreading, mounded and decumbent plant habit; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; purple-colored flowers; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunsurfbupa’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Sunsurfbupa.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Petunias with numerous flowers with attractiveflower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in August, 2001, of the Petunia cultivar Super Cascade Blue,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Petuniaselection identified as code 79-200, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from theresulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventors in acontrolled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since September, 2003has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunsurfbupa have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsurfbupa’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sunsurfbupa’ as a new and distinct Petuniacultivar:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading, mounded and decumbent plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent, thecultivar Super Cascade Blue, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are shorter and broader than plants        of the cultivar Super Cascade Blue.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia flower for a longer period of time        than plants of the cultivar Super Cascade Blue.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are taller and broader than plants        of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of        the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivarRevolution Violet No. 3, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,330. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plantsof the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar RevolutionViolet No. 3 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were shorter than plants of the        cultivar Revolution Violet No. 3.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had narrower lateral branches than        plants of the cultivar Revolution Violet No. 3.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had longer, but narrower, leaves        than plants of the cultivar Revolution Violet No. 3.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Revolution Violet        No. 3 differed in petal coloration as plants of the cultivar        Revolution Violet No. 3 had purple violet-colored petals.    -   5. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Revolution Violet        No. 3 differed in flower throat and tube coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurfbupa’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers and leaves of ‘Sunsurfbupa’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, in 15-cmcontainers for about four months in an outdoor nursery during the springand early summer with day temperatures about 23° C. and nighttemperatures about 15° C. Plants were pinched one time in the earlyspring. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Sunsurfbupa.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Petunia×hybrida cultivar Super            Cascade Blue, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida            selection identified as code 79-200, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 20 to 25° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About three weeks at 20 to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Annual flowering plant;            indeterminate; outwardly spreading, mounded and decumbent            plant habit. Viscid and glandular pubescent. Vigorous growth            habit. Freely branching habit with lateral branches            developing potentially at every node.        -   Plant height.—About 13.8 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25.6 cm. Diameter: About            2.6 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;            sessile. Length: About 5.5 cm. Width: About 2.9 cm. Shape:            Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; viscid. Venation            pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing and fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Developing and fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper and            lower surfaces: Similar to lamina.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers            face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Flowers not            persistent. Freely flowering habit.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants            flower from spring through late autumn in Japan; flowering            continuous during this period.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.        -   Fragrance.—Faint.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 7.4 cm. Length: About 4.7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.8 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Shape: Cylindrical. Color: N79B.        -   Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals; fused,            funnelform. Petal length: About 2.6 cm. Petal width: About            3 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate to fan-shaped. Petal            apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire; undulate. Petal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; satiny. Color:            Petal, when developing and fully expanded, upper surface:            N87A; venation, 83A. Petal, when developing and fully            expanded, lower surface: N78C; venation, 83A. Flower throat            (inside): 77B; venation, N79A. Flower tube (outside): 77B.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width:            About 5 mm. Shape: Narrowly oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,            immature, upper and lower surfaces: 137A. Color, mature,            upper and lower surfaces: 137A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Width: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.            Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther            color: 91B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 94B.            Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About            2 cm. Style length: About 1.8 cm. Style color: 144C. Stigma            shape: Broadly elliptic. Stigma color: 143A. Ovary color:            144B.        -   Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    noted to be resistant to specific pathogens and pests common to    Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and tolerated    temperatures from 5 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfbupa’, asillustrated and described.